About this project

Mosquita y Mari - A new voice in independent filmmaking

$82,468

pledged of $80,000 goal

888

backers

In December of last year, Mosquita y Mari was awarded partial production funding from the Latino Public Broadcast. Awesome news! Yes, but it's not enough to get MyM through production. That's why I am turning to you! After watching our pre-teaser trailer, meeting me, and checking out our rewards, I hope you'll become a part of this exciting community we're building around Mosquita y Mari!

What's
the story?

Mosquita
y Mari
is a coming of age story that focuses on a tender love between two
young Chicanas that struggles to find its place in their lives and in
today's world. Yolanda and Mari are growing up in Huntington Park,
Los Angeles and have only known loyalty to one thing: family. Growing
up in immigrant households, both girls are expected to prioritize the
well-being of their families. Yolanda, an only child, delivers
straight A's and the hope of the American Dream while Mari, the
eldest, shares economic responsibilities with her undocumented mother
who scrambles to make ends meet. When Mari moves in across the street
from Yolanda, they maintain their usual life routine, until an
incident at school thrusts them into a friendship and into unknown
territory. As their friendship grows, a yearning to explore their
strange yet beautiful connection surfaces. Lost in their private
world of unspoken affection, lingering gazes, and heart-felt
confessions of uncertain futures, Yolanda's grades begin to slip
while Mari's focus drifts away from her duties at a new job.
Mounting pressures at home collide with their new-found desires thus
driving Yolanda and Mari's relationship to the edge, forcing them to
choose between their obligations to others and staying true to each
other.

What
inspired Mosquita y Mari?

Mosquita
y Mari is
a full-length feature film inspired by my own background. I had a few
same-sex friendships throughout my youth that were very layered. How
can you not have a whirlwind of feelings for your closest friends?
You pick them because they’re cool, they’re nice, they’re
different from the rest, they look out for you, they listen to you,
and they take care of you. There’s bound to be chemistry there.
Feelings of love and desire are bound to develop. It can be such a
loaded relationship because we learn not to cross that line and so a
lot of this tension goes unspoken.

These
relationships taught me a lot about myself because it’s such a
vulnerable space. I learned to feel love for the first time. I also
felt hurt too. But most importantly I think as young people we still
have the power to forgive.

I
also grew up a daughter to working-class, immigrant parents. I think
there’s an added pressure to live up to the expectations our
parents have of us because we see at a young age how much they’ve
sacrificed for our futures. They’ve given up their homelands, their
extended families, a different way of life. They’re here working
long hours in exploitive jobs where they’re targeted for being
immigrant and Latino. This wears on the spirit. It changes you. So
when I look at my parents I see their journey to the U.S. has come at
a huge cost. How do I ignore that? Children of immigrants often feel
like they have to deliver on the American Dream so their parents’
actions aren’t in vain.

So
for me things like exploring love became obstacles to my goal of going to college and
“making it.” Mosquita
y Mari
is my reflection on these elements coming to a collision in the life
of two 15 year old Chicanas.

Where
will the funds go?

The trailer you just watched was done with a few dollars and some local volunteers. Now imagine what the MyM team can do with a BUDGET!!! Your donations will go directly to production of the film. Currently, we have
enough raised to get through 5 out of 20 days of production. Every
cent of your donated money will make its way into every shot of the
film, whether your $25 went to one of our drives that will hold our
precious digital footage or your $50 fed our Cast lunch. Every bit
that you give will go straight to the production of our story and
every bit, large or small, will make a HUGE difference!

If
we do not reach our fundraising goal by the Kickstarter deadline, all
donations will be returned – with the Kickstarter fundraising
program, we have to raise all of the money stated in our goal. If we
do not, we keep nothing and the film production will be delayed, or
worse never finished!

What
are the plans for the film?

From the beginning, I've been building bridges between Mosquita y Mari and the communities of south LA to ensure our process and product is accessible and beneficial. During production in June/July 2011, local youth interested in media-making will be paired up with our excellent creative team as a form of hands-on-experience and mentorship. Once we wrap post production in August a couple of things will happen. First, we'll be submitting to both domestic and international film festivals for
early 2012 screenings. Second, in partnership with local youth and parent organizers we'll be putting together a series of dialog-driven
community-based screenings.

Who's
involved?

A passion
project from the very beginning, our team consists of diverse and
talented storytellers, who all strongly believe in the story...

Cinematographer,
Bradford Young. Mosquita
y Mari
is honored and excited to be working with the talented Bradford
Young, winner of the 2011 Sundance Festival Excellence in
Cinematography Award for his work in the critically acclaimed Pariah.
Other feature credits Restless
City, Mississippi Damned, and
Entre
Nos.

Producer,
Chad Burris (Indion Productions, LLC). Chad is an accomplished film
producer and winner of the 2007 Sundance Institute Mark Silverman
Award for production. His producer credits include features Ass
Backwards,
Yellow,
Bringing
Up Bobby,
Heaven’s
Rain,
The
Killer Inside Me,
Barking
Water,
Four
Sheets to the Wind;
and shorts Shimasani
and Goodnight,
Irene.
Chad, Indion’s founder, is a member of the Chickasaw Nation.

Executive
Producer, Jim McKay. Jim has helped creatively nurture Mosquita
y Mari
in its early stages. McKay’s debut film Girls
Town
in 1996 received the Filmmakers Trophy and Special Jury Prize for
Collaboration at the Sundance Film Festival. His career as a director
has since given birth to numerous award-winning films including Our
Song,
Everyday
People
and Angel.
His producing credits include American
Movie,
Spring
Forward,
Stanger
Inside,
La
Boda and Escuela,
and Brother
to Brother.

Production Designer, Dalila Paola Mendez worked as set decorator on the film Real Women Have Curves and is
mentored by Academy Award Winner Brigitte Broch. She has been Production
Designer for the collective Womyn Image Makers and a variety of short films.

FAQ

Support this project

Select this reward

Pledge $1 or more
About $1.00

GRACIAS!!! Every little bit helps our journey along. You will get an honorary shout-out on our Facebook page, letting everyone know we appreciate your help. Plus, if we ever cross paths in person you can bet you'll be getting the biggest HUG and sincerest GRACIAS for believing in Mosquita y Mari's story.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $25 or more
About $25

We'll post your name on our official Mosquita y Mari website homepage as one of our supporters. You will also receive an EXCLUSIVE, Cussin’ Cozy here , courtesy of our friends at Cussing Cozies. These sassy coffee sleeves are made from recycled materials, because that’s how we roll! Each Cussing Cozy will say "Mosquita y Mari, Fuck the Rest! www.mosquitaymari.com." (Peep it here: http://tinyurl.com/cussingcozy) PLUS, you'll receive a downloadable version of MyM's original score(composed music)!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $50 or more
About $50

The above...and an exclusive digital download of our Behind the Scenes docu special including interviews with cast and crew as they bring the story of Mosquita y Mari to life, as well as shots of the crew running from the cops! (Just kidding...maybe not.) Find out what it was like to be on set and on location without ever having to lift a sandbag! As an ADDED BONUS, we're including downloads of select songs from our MYM SOUNDTRACK! If you know Aurora's previous work the MUSIC is always a unique blend of classic Mexican and modern sounds!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $100 or more
About $100

The above...and download and own a collection of Aurora's earlier narrative films including Viernes Girl, En La Madrugada, Ixchel: The Mayan Moon Goddess. Discover the films that KICKSTARTED Aurora's career. PLUS, add to your library an autographed original script of Mosquita y Mari which won the support of prestigious filmmaker programs like Sundance, Film Independent, and Tribeca All Access.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $250 or more
About $250

Receive a special, limited edition series poster (12 x 18;archival; comes with certificate) inspired by the script Mosquita y Mari. Xicana printmaker Favianna Rodriguez has brought her artistic talents to our fundraising efforts by designing this BEAUTIFUL original film poster only available via this pledge (http://tinyurl.com/mym-poster). Favianna's vibrant colors and political images have supported social justice movements around the globe and have graced multiple public walls, museums and galleries (for more of her amazing work visit www.favianna.com). Poster will be signed by Favianna and Aurora.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,000 or more
About $1,000

Special screening for your classroom or what about in the comfort of your own home or at your local community center! The director will make a guest appearance in your choice of setting, following a private screening. Depending where you are located it could be in person, or via Skype...all negotiable. Plus, we'll include rewards from $100 pledge and above as well as highlight your name in our film's THANK YOU credits!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $2,500 or more
About $2,500

Have you always wanted to sit next to a film director and watch as they bring their vision to life? Come visit the set of Mosquita y Mari for a day and hang out with the director, cast and crew. Who knows, we might even throw you in as an extra in the movie or let you yell 'Action!' once...or a few times if you're really good at it! Transportation and lodging not provided. Plus, we'll include rewards from $100 pledge and above as well as highlight your name in our film's THANK YOU credits!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $5,000 or more
About $5,000

An "Associate Producer" listing in the movie credits, this would be title only on the film's credit crawl. Creative control will remain in the hands of the filmmakers (this is just to ensure we keep the original vision of the artist), plus 4 tickets to festival premiere! Transportation and lodging not provided.